Thursday, 30 May 2013

I
don't think there is a girl who is aware of Made in Chelsea that
doesn't wish she looked like Millie Mackintosh, or at least had her
wardrobe. I am definitely one of those. She always looks so effortlessy
chic and gorgeous. Major envy here.

This look is perfect for this time
of year. A white or cream lace dress is a staple for the spring and
summer. It's versatile and just oh so pretty. Teamed with a denim jacket
it is just the perfect bbq outfit.

Ankle boots don't suit everyone
with a lace dress, but here it is gorgeous and teamed with lace it gives
the look a bit of an edge. Add the fringed tan bag and you have
yourself a half cowgirl/half girly girl look going on. And I love it.

Wednesday, 29 May 2013

As
a plus size woman, shopping for outfits to wear to events and occasions
can sometimes be a little tricky. I want something that will fit me
well, but simultaneously be bang on trend. Enter the AX PARIS Curve
range. Their dresses are absolutely gorgeous, and their fit is
impeccable. Here is my wishlist for their latest pieces!

1.

PVC COLLAR CHIFFON TOP £25

LASER CUT PU SCALLOP SKIRT £30

Sheer
AND PVC? It’s sexiness personified. The length of the hem on the skirt
stops it look too trashy, and the intricate laser cutting pattern brings
a little femininity to the style. It’s androgynous enough for anyone
who isn’t a girly girl.

2.

CHIFFON JEWEL MAXI DRESS WAS £60 NOW £29.99

This
strapless dress would be perfect for a night out on holiday. The extra
sparkle added around the sweetheart neckline brings attention to the top
half, and the skirt is flowing and hip-skimming; both aspects perfect
for a pear shaped beauty!

3.

JEWL CHIFFON MAXI £55

Similar
to the strapless maxi dress, the addition of straps just give that
extra bit of support, so perfect if you have a larger bust. Black can
always be accessorised to whichever trend is in that season, so this
dress would be a great investment piece!

4.

NUDE DROP BACK CHIFFON ROUCHE FRONT DRESS £45

The
high-low hem doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, and this gorgeous nude
strapless dress is just the perfect balance of frothy girlyness with a
tough edge. Team with killer heels and a clutch bag, and your Saturday
night outfit is sorted.

5.

EMBELLISHED CHIFFON HALTER NECK DRESS £60

Halter
necks are great for anyone with wider shoulders, particularly wider
straps like on this dress. The detailing around the midriff crosses
over, giving a streamlined silhouette, nipping and pulling in where
needed.

6.

BONDED LACE SPLIT MESH DRESS £45

This
dress is absolutely stunning. Lace is a huge trend this season and this
dress has just the right amount, taking it from sweet to sexy. Combined
with a sheer half skirt on the back, giving fluidity to the dress,
allowing it to move around your body, this dress is the perfect
confidence booster. Team it with a red lip and a messy topknot to add
more oomph!

7.

PLEAT EMBELLISHED KEY HOLE DRESS £60

This
is the ultimate grecian goddess inspired dress. The blush colour is
right on trend, and looks gorgeous on all different types on skintones.
The key hole detailing reveals just the right amount of bare skin,
making it demure enough for a fancy occasion.

8.

SWEETHEART NECKLINE LACE DRESS £32

The
lace detailing on the shoulders and arms allows the skin underneath to
peek through, giving it a glamourous, sexy aesthetic. The sweetheart
neckline is ultra flattering, and if the length of the dress puts you
off, you can always wear it with a knee length pencil skirt. Vamp it up
with big hair and big shoes!

Monday, 27 May 2013

etailPR have set up a couple of fantastic competitions this week which we think you are going to love!!

First up Paul's Boutique have collaborated with Happy Socks to offer 4 winners a Scarlet satchel (pictured) and 8 pairs of socks each. Yes that's 8 pairs and they do some really fun designs, you'll be spoilt for choice.

Also we know Daniel Wellington have been very popular with bloggers and they've now teamed up with Ax Pairs to collectively offer 1 winner 2 Ax Paris dresses and 2 watches of the winners choice for themselves and a friend.

Friday, 24 May 2013

With the huge success of the A Beautiful Mess photo app we thought it was only fitting to write about our love for Elsie and Emma!

A couple of us in the office are huge fans of A Beautiful Mess and have followed their amazing blog for many years. Not only do they post beautiful photos of crafts, recipes, interiors and fashion, but they've also owned their own vintage boutique, wrote a book, have kids, cool tattoos and Elsie owns a PUG! Ahh. Basically we want to be them :D

The photos above are of Elsie's wonderful home - we particularly love the chalkboard kitchen cupboards! We're fans of interior design and are constantly pinning lovely images to our interiors board on Pinterest. If only we had our own home and husband... and pug and could decorate to our hearts delight!

Thursday, 23 May 2013

With Rochelle just giving birth and Frankie well into pregnancy, The Saturdays can't seem to stay out of the press this year. So we thought we'd base this weeks 'Celeb Style' post around them :)

If you've ever watched 'Chasing The Saturdays' you will have got a great feeling for the girls dress sense individually and also as a bad when performing. Although they are all quite different in style, we love how they all come together as a band and each individual outfit fits together well as a collective.

Having been in the spotlight for 6 years now the band have grown up together and matured in their dress sense. We love how fabulous they've looked recently, whether pregnant or not!

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

I was fortunate enough a little while ago to get my hands on the quick selling gorgeous Ramona embellished dress by Lashes of London.

The embellished shoulders are hand stitched this definitely makes the dress 100% more unique as the attention to detail is fantastic. The dress itself is a shift dress with shoulder pads and a concealed back zip, the fit is slightly larger to size and i would suggest dropping a size if you are after a bodycon fit.

I have only worn the dress on one occasion so far and the amount of attention it attracted was astounding, so if you want to make a bold style statement and have all eyes on you for the evening this is definitely the dress you need. I just need to find more reasons to wear it, maybe a trip to the shops just because i can (of course there maybe some odd looks)

Lashes of London have launched their new S/S 13 Look Book so i have picked out a few of my favourite pieces to tempt you all to head over and have a look at Lashes of London.com

My favourite trend for this season is pastel colours so the dress is my number one Spring must have and along with the cut away detail it ticks all the boxes. The Parma cropped tee will look gorgeous with the PU skirt to mix up textures.

Monday, 20 May 2013

Whilst the evening saw many big accomplishments such as Coronation Street winning the biggest title of the night 'Best British Soap' and Adam Woodyatt (aka Ian Beale) winning the 'Lifetime Achievement Award', we've spent most of the morning adorning the ladies fashion choices for the evening instead!

There were certainly an array of different styles on the red carpet with some rather eye catching choices. However in amongst the bling, big hair and false eyelashes there were some truly beautiful outfits too.

Lots of celebs opted for the ever popular floor length gown and we personally think Tina O'Brien looked stunning in a pale pink feather and sequin number - a mixture that is hard to pull off.

Also, the Hollyoaks McQueen sisters pulled out all the stops with Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe) choosing a low cut, braless white blazer which the paparazzi couldn't get enough of! And the beautiful Claire Cooper (Jacqui) looked amazing in a floor length, sheer panelled black dress - Congratulations go to her for scooping 'Best Actress' of the night too.

Who were your favourite outfits of the night? Or who do you think should sack their stylist?

Sunday, 19 May 2013

This is a recipe for the most delicious tarragon chicken pie I made a few weeks ago. And it’s so simple! This dish was on GMTV Oscars day where they made individual pies and decorated with an Oscar design. It’s such a great recipe to cook for friends as it can be done in advance and perfect for the cooler Spring weather we’re experiencing and want something a little lighter but with some warmth and comfort. I served with carrots and long stemmed broccoli but a salad would work just as well and if you’re being better than I with calorie consumption you could simply enjoy the tarragon chicken without the puff pastry topping – although that would be a tragedy in my eyes!

Ingredients
70g plain flour

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

750g chicken breast fillets cut into 2cm dice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks, white part only, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

150ml chicken stock

4 tbsp crème fraiche

A small bunch of tarragon leaves chopped

375g ready-rolled all butter puff pastry

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Combine flour, cayenne pepper and salt in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat, shaking off any excess flour.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until light golden. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

3. Return pan to a medium heat; add leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add stock and crème fraiche, simmer gently for 5 minutes, then return the chicken to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes further. Remove from heat, season and stir through the tarragon.

4. You will need 4 individual pie dishes. Using an upside down dish as a guide, cut out a round of pastry for the pie lid(s), allowing an extra 1cm all round. Spoon the filling into the dishes. Brush the rims with egg and top with the pastry lids pushing down the edges around the rim. Brush tops with egg yolk and pierce the top of each pie. Use any pastry trimmings to cut out Oscar figurines and use these to decorate the top of your pies.

5. Brush decorations with egg and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden. Cool for 5 minutes before serving with a crisp green salad.

Do let me know if you give this a whirl, I would love to know if you think this is amazing as I do! Who’s hungry?

Saturday, 18 May 2013

I picked up this plain white men’s t-shirt from Primark for
just £2 so I could give myself a little DIY task. I find these are so cheap you
can just experiment with them however you want to and it doesn’t matter if they
go wrong. Luckily for me I really like how this DIY CROP TOP turned out. I wanted
to go for an off the shoulder look but I also wanted to make it cropped so
decided to do so with a secure knot in the centre, this top was pretty
oversized before I altered it but tying a small knot is just so simple and
really gives the garment a more defined shape. I also love the look of the knotted
centre.

I hope it’s pretty straightforward to follow the steps I’ve
given you if you do want to try this out for yourself. I wanted to get a top
that was big on me so opted for this men’s one in a small but you might want to
get it bigger or smaller depending on the style you’re aiming for. This makes a
perfect little summer top and goes great with trouser or even a nice midi skirt
:) I wore mine with my pale blue polka dot trousers when I went to the beach
with Ashley last week.

Thursday, 16 May 2013

With The Great Gatsby airing this weekend we thought we'd tailor this weeks celebrity style post around the glitz and glamour that was the 1920's!

Little Mistress is one brand of ours that sells some gorgeous dresses perfect for any upcoming proms, balls, weddings or christenings!

With the 1920's in mind we've picked out a selection of our favourite outfits below.

Whether it's floor length, midi, mini or maybe even a jumpsuit, Little Mistress have something to cater for everyones tastes.
The above selection range from £40 upwards and if that isn't enough we have an exclusive 20% discount for you all, simply enter BLOGGER1251 at the checkout.

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

I'm
a girl who loves trends, but I hesitate to invest too much money in
trendy pieces, for fear that they may soon go "out of style." These six
wishlist items from Forever Unique
incorporate a few popular trends, without going overboard! They could
easily be paired with the classic pieces that are already in your
closet. It's a win/win!

1. Selfish by Forever Unique T-shirt: I have a soft spot for sheer shirts. This classic black t-shirt can be left loose or tucked in, showing a little bit of skin. £55.00

2. Selfish by Forever Unique Fitted Skirt: I'm not brave enough to rock white bottoms, but if I was, I'd snatch this studded skirt up in a flash! £65.00

3. Selfish by Forever Unique High Waisted Shorts: Now these shorts are definitely something I could work with. I love the high waist, and studs are still all the rage. £55.00

5. 4U by Forever Unique Jumper: This
jumper combines a few popular trends: cut-outs and skulls. I don't own a
top like this, but I love the surprise detailing on the back. £70.00

6. Forever Unique Leatherette Hard Box Evening Handbag: This handbag was the first item to make it to my wish list. This has Alexander McQueen written all over it. And I love it! It's got studs, it's got skulls, and it's got sparkle. Does it get better than that? £70.00

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

etailPR are pleased to announce that three handbag brands will be joining our strong accessory portfolio - Fiorelli, Nica & Modalu have chosen etailPR to manage and grow their affiliate marketing campaigns.

Nica currently have a campaign on Affiliate Window, so etailPR will be working to relaunch their campaign immediately in order to maximise the impact of their new campaign and achieve outstanding results.

Nica was first launched in 2005, since then their style and image has grown with an emphasis on strong colours, whimsical prints, beautiful fabrics and quirky flourishes. Nica’s handbags allow women to express their individuality, following trend led fashion while still standing out from the crowd.

The well known handbag brand, Fiorelli, will be represented by etailPR’s affiliate team. Fiorelli currently have an Affiliate Window account, however they have chosen for etailPR to perform a full relaunch on the platform in order to create an effective affiliate marketing campaign from the start.

Fiorelli’s style is innovative, with meticulous designs and a high perceived value. Their handbags are designed by a team of young, ambitious and forward thinking designers, inspired by trends and themes found from their travels around the world.

Finally, Modalu have appointed etailPR to launch their first affiliate campaign, due to the wealth of knowledge the company hold in the area - etailPR already have plans in the pipeline to make this an impressive launch!

Modalu create luxurious, classically British, handbags priding themselves on their couture style, creativity and craftmanship. Modalu believe that quality and style don’t have to cost the earth and ensure that every customer gets an exceptional product, without an extortionate price tag.

Already a celebrity favourite Modalu bags have been spotted on Pippa Middleton, she loves one particular style so much that the brand decided to re-name the bag to The Pippa Grab Bag in her honour!

Monday, 13 May 2013

Last night saw the BAFTA TV awards and we couldn't help but blog our favourite outfits from the evening!
Some ladies certainly stood out on the red carpet including two rather different but equally as gorgeous dresses from the Made In Chelsea girls Millie Mackintosh and Louise Thompson. Millie might have had trouble keeping her Sass & Bide floor length black dress down in the rain and wind but we still think she pulled the look off in style.

Sienna Miller who was only at the Met Gala last week in a punk style outfit turned up in a beautiful Mark Williamson powder blue embellished dress. With a pair of studded grey Christian Louboutin's maybe the star couldn't quite let the punk of last week go. Either way she was epitome of style last night and certainly out shone fellow BAFTA nominees.

What do you think of the ladies outfits? Who was your favourite? Or who was your least favourite?

Sunday, 12 May 2013

Becky from Milk Bubble Tea never fails to impress us with her delicious recipes! Whilst catching up on her blog last week we discovered this rather yummy post on how to make chocolate candy bars. No baking is involved you simply just melt lots of chocolate, sprinkle in some sweets and wait for it to cool and turn hard. Simple!!

You can see the full recipe and step by step guide on Becky's blog here.

Friday, 10 May 2013

This week we wanted to introduce you to a few of the brands on the etailPR Blogger Network. If your blog meets the required criteria then you can apply to work with these brands, request samples and start promoting!

To do this, please log in to your blogger network account. If you do not have an account, you can sign up here. If you have previously worked with etailPR and we have sent you a sample, then you already have an account set up for you. You can go to the log in page, enter your blog email and then click forgotten password - a new password will be sent to you and you're ready to log in!

To find the live campaigns - go to 'Promotion' > 'Campaigns' once logged into your Blogger Network account.

Below are this week's featured campaigns.

Chi Chi:
Chi-Chi is a leading retailer of ladies fashion, specialising in Cocktail, Prom and Evening Dresses. They are dedicated to bringing the finest catwalk fashion to the high street at affordable prices and believe that looking great and feeling good go hand in hand.

Chi Chi require bloggers to have at least 600 followers on a mainly fashion focused blog with clear photography, before they can be accepted onto the campaign. If this is you then Chi Chi can offer you one sample to feature in a blog post in exchange for a banner in your sidebar for one month and the use of a tracking text link through to the website in the post.

Lashes of London:
Launched in S/S12. LASHES embodies a fresh take on fashion, combining great style and supreme credibility. The brand is your radar for identifying the ultimate edit of major trends for the style devoted and fashion addicted.

To work with Lashes you must have at least 700 blog followers on a fashion focused blog with clear images. If you meet these requirements then Lashes can offer you a sample in exchange for a blog post using a tracking text link through to the website, plus a banner in your sidebar for one month.

She Likes:

Since 2011, She Likes have been aspiring to become one of the leading online fashion retailers in the UK. They bring everything from catwalk to casual styles to suit everyone as soon as they are available. Stock is updated daily and their finger is on the pulse of the current fashion scene at all times.

You must have at least 600 blog followers on a fashion focused blog with clear images to meet She Likes' blogger requirements. If this is you then you can receive an item in exchange for a blog post using a tracking text link, plus a banner in your sidebar for one month.

Things to remember:

- Please only apply to work with a brand if you meet the requirements detailed in their campaign description.

- All bloggers need to ensure that as much information is entered into your 'Personal Details' section as possible - brands will use this information to approve or decline your application to their campaign.

- The brands have the final decision to approve or decline an application onto a campaign or a sample request.

- Bloggers may be declined due to the blogger/sample quota being met for that month, the blog may not suit the brand's style or the blog may not meet the brand's requirements among other reasons.

The next steps:

If you're successfully approved onto a campaign then you will receive an email to let you know. Similarly, if you are declined you will also receive an email stating the brand's decision and reasoning.

Once approved, you are able to access the text links and banners for the brand. You are also able to see the brand under the 'Brand Samples' tab and request samples.

Please ensure that your address is correct before requesting a sample, the brand will send the item to the address listed in your profile! It is your responsibility to make sure that this is current and correct.

If your sample request is accepted then you will need to post about the item within two weeks of receiving the item. It is essential that you use the tracking text link which can be found under 'Campaigns' > 'Banners and Links' > then filter the banners by brand to find the correct link.

That should cover everything you need to know for now, there is more information in our FAQs and also on the home page of your Blogger Network account. If you need to get in touch with us please fill in the 'Contact Us' form on the left hand side of your Blogger Network account and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Thursday, 9 May 2013

This week we thought we'd center our 'Celeb Style' post around the Met Ball. This years event had the theme 'punk' and whilst there were some pretty crazy choices of outfit, there were also some rather beautiful dresses.

Our favourites have to be Minka Kelly in this gorgeous floor length, purple, Carolina Herrera gown and Taylor Swift who wowed in a dress by J Mendel.

Kate Bosworth and Rita Ora opted for a more fun and flirty take on the dress code with Kate wearing a cute mini dress by Balmain and Rita who chose a white gown by Thakoon.

And finally J.Lo showed off every inch of her curves in a striking print Michael Kors dress.

What do you think of our selection? Who do you think was best dressed or worst dressed at this years event?

Wednesday, 8 May 2013

When I found Oh My Love online shop, I was impressed! I found so
many ''it'' pieces for spring/summer and the best part is that they are
very affordable. My favourite are dresses and pants, especially those
with flower print!

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

I've been really busy in the last week or so with work and well err shopping, so have only just got round to posting my DIY galaxy print shoes I had a go at! I've had great feedback from them and they were dead easy and quick to do!

1. You'll need a pair of black or navy shoes, I got navy ones. You'll also need tape, and paint dye for the navy/black shoes you'll need a bright pink, cobalt blue and white. Don't bother buying a purple as you can just mix the blue and pink.

2. Tape up the sole of the shoe to keep it neat when painting and take the laces out

3. Mix up your colours, I mixed up a lighter pink a lilac ad a lighter blue, these colours seem to take better when they are lighter. I used a brush to paint my shoes, you may find it easier with a sponge, but I often paint with the same technique used to create the galaxy effect so find it easier with a brush instead of a sponge. However I did use a sponge to take off excess paint

4. Start dabbing on the paint in patches blending it in as you go, at first it wont show really at all but just let it dry a few mins and go back over it and it'll start to show. If you end up with harsh lines were it's not really blending dab it with a sponge and it will blend it better.

5. Just keep going over your shoe until your happy with the effect and the colours are strong enough for you.

6. Lastly add some little white marks for the "stars" the paint dries quick but i still left mine over night until taking off the tape and ironing. Then admire your handy work!

4. InLoveWithFashion have been spotted on some of our favourite celebs recently and now you can shop their style with 20% off! Get your hands on the styles loved by Millie Mackintosh and Una Healy with the code GETCELEBLOOK20. Shop now! (Valid until midnight, 13th May)

Sunday, 5 May 2013

Remove front cage of fan and use wet wipes to clean any build up of dirt and fluff. The paint won't stick otherwise and plus, it looks horrible. Hopefully none of your fans are as dirty as mine.

Paint the wings red, blue and yellow. It's important you use these three colours as they're the primary colours so they'll mix together to give purple, green and orange too when the fan is spinning. Other colours would probably look cool, but they won't have the same effect.

Paint one coat and leave it to dry over night. Paint a second coat the next day and leave it to dry, depending on the paint you're using it might drip when spinning so it's better to let it dry and be safe.

A lot of paint will get on other parts of the fan other than the wings so make sure to use the wet wipes to clean it up once it's dry to give it a neater look.

Replace the front cage of the fan, plug it in and turn it on and enjoy!